Horror Realm celebrates anniversary

Horror Realm, Pittsburgh’s modern horror convention, celebrates its fifth anniversary in 2013. The convention takes place September 20-22 at the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South hotel in Bethel Park.

The convention features dealer areas filled with vendors selling horror themed merchandise such as DVDs, posters, t-shirts, collectibles and handmade items; a film program featuring popular and independent horror movies; a VHS viewing room for horror films that have never been released to DVD; question and answer panels with celebrity guests and horror authors; a costume contest; entertainment and a themed party on Saturday evening.

To kick off the convention weekend, Haunted Pittsburgh is offering a special downtown ghost tour on Thursday at 7 p.m. especially for attendees of Horror Realm. The tour starts at the City-County Building on Grant Street and their ghost guide will lead participants on a tour of some of Pittsburgh’s most haunted sites and regale them with tales of the strange and unusual.

New this year will be sanctioned Magic: The Gathering Theros pre-release gaming tourneys on Friday at midnight, Saturday at noon and 8 p.m. Gaming is presented and operated by The Geekadrome, a comics and gaming store in Brookline.

Participants are encouraged to pre-register by calling Geekadrome at 412-344-2494; registration will also be taken at the events.

- Actor/writer/producer Marc Sheffler (actor: Last House on the Left; writer: Charles in Charge)

- Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille (Saturday noon to 4 p.m. only)

- Lori Cardille (Day of the Dead - appearing on Saturday only)

- SFX artist Autumn Cook (season four Face Off contestant)

- The Green Goblin head prop from Maximum Overdrive

Main convention hours are Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m .; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The film room and VHS screening room will run until 2 a.m. nightly. Entertainment will include performances on Saturday evening by national sideshow act Jimmy Coffin, who has appeared on America’s Got Talent, and musician Will Bozarth.

The costume party on Saturday night has a theme of “I Spit on Your Party,” celebrating the 70s, the decade that brought us sleazy low budget exploitation films and the birth of modern slasher films.

Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. Weekend passes are $35; single day (Fri or Sat) $15; two-day (Sat/Sun) $20 and Sunday admission is only $10. A discounted room rate of $109 plus tax per night is offered to attendees.